My invention generally relates to a device using solar energy to melt ice at low ambient temperatures (freezing or below), and more particularly to apparatus for dispensing drinking water to livestock grazing on remote pastures in climates or at elevations where low ambient temperatures frequenty cause the water in livestock water troughs to freeze.
The loss of livestock during cold weather is a problem that plagues ranchers particularly in the Rocky Mountains, where it is often difficult to gain ready access to the grazing areas. The watering troughs often freeze during very cold nights, preventing the livestock from drinking the water during the day and causing death of livestock through thirst. The current practice is to melt the ice by the use of propane heaters, which are not fully reliable in cold weather. Adverse weather conditions may also prevent supplying fuel to these heaters. The use of electric heaters is impracticable because of the cost of electricity and the impossibility of installing power lines to the grazing areas.
Solar energy is not presently in use as a source of heat to melt stock water in remote low-temperature grazing ranges, because persons in the art have not heretofore considered solar melting to be effective in preventing livestock loss in areas of low ambient air temperatures.